


椿湫配

by LALULALIDO



Category: Big Fish and Begonia, EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 09:57:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12208905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LALULALIDO/pseuds/LALULALIDO
Summary: The story of a god, a mortal, and an "other".





	椿湫配

**Author's Note:**

> title & inspiration from 春秋配 (the match of spring and autumn) and 大鱼海棠 (big fish and begonia)
> 
> -春秋配 is a song by 轮回乐队 (Again band), but i first heard it from 摘星怪 on the chinese king of masked singer 
> 
> -大鱼海棠 is a 2016 animated movie (which i highly recommend watching because it's really good and made me cry q_q the whole eng subbed movie is on youtube if anyone ever wants to watch it + the osts are really good too); two of the main characters' names are 椿 (a type of flower, the chinese character is made up of the semantic indicator for "wood" and the character for "spring") and 湫 (used to describe a small stream of water, the chinese character is made up of the semantic indicator for "water" and the character for "autumn") 
> 
> plot is heavily based off big fish and begonia with some added twists or interpretations i have of the movie
> 
> all quotes used are from the movie and osts (plus the one other song) 
> 
> character list is on aff (not super relevant but if you want to check it out, same title, same author name)

If I told you that every human spirit was a big fish, swimming from this side of the ocean to the other, would you believe me?

Forty five billion years ago, the world was nothing but ocean; the ocean of the mortal realm was the sky of our’s. The spirits of deceased humans became fish and travelled through the bottom of the ocean into our sky. It was our duty to protect these spirits, just as we controlled the natural laws of their realm.

We are not humans, or gods, but “others”.

 

 

 

 

 

_北冥有鱼，其名为鲲。鲲之大，不知其几千里也_

_-逍遥游_

_in the north sea there is a fish, whose name is kun. kun is so large, he cannot be measured_

_-carefree wandering_

 

 

 

 

 

Every sixteen year old must complete the journey to the mortal realm before they can truly be considered an adult. This year, Baekhyun has finally turned sixteen, yet, in true Baekhyun fashion, he is about to be late to his coming of age ceremony.

“This is all your fault,” he whines to Chanyeol, who sits on the raft and plays carelessly with the critters. “Why did you have to drag me out to explore?”

His friend sticks his tongue out at him impishly and he has to resist the urge to smack him in the face with the oar. Just as he’s about to continue ranting, Chanyeol hushes him, suddenly alert. “Look, Lady Sehun is about to work her magic.” And true to his observation, the lady seamstress of the mortal skies gently flings her completed work into the water. The dyes of the ribbon bleed into the lake, painting the image of a serene night sky.

“The mortal realm’s skies are so beautiful this time of year,” Baekhyun comments as they near the Lady and her horses.

“They are beautiful at all times of year,” Chanyeol replies happily. “Lady Sehun is quite talented.”

The two are interrupted by Jongin, a council Elder. He hovers above them on his crane and peers down disapprovingly. “Baekhyun, you are about to be late to the coming of age ceremony. Hurry.”

“I know, thank you Jongin.” The Elder sniffles in acknowledgement before flying away, leaving Baekhyun to throw a dirty look at Chanyeol. At least this time, the other boy has the decency to flush in guilt. As their raft draws nearer to the pasture, Chanyeol jumps up to wave hi.

“Lady Sehun! Lady Sehun, me and Baekhyun need to go to the coming of age ceremony. Can we borrow two horses?” The Lady nods pleasantly.

“Go ahead and choose which ones you want,” she smiles.

“Thank you Lady Sehun!” Baekhyun bows quickly before running off to join Chanyeol in looking for a steed. A tall white horse with a fiery red mane immediately captures his attention. “You’re beautiful,” he says in awe as he stares up into its eyes. The animal snorts in pleasure and lowers his head to allow Baekhyun to pet him.

Next to him, Chanyeol has also found a horse that enraptures him, a muscular beast that clearly still has a wild spirit. “Baek look! He’s so handsome! He’s even taller than me,” Chanyeol muses as he swings under the horse’s tail. Unfortunately, the animal chooses to dump a load on his head in that instant, and he scrunches his nose in disgust. Already on his horse, Baekhyun laughs. “Never mind, I don’t want this one anymore,” Chanyeol states. He shakes the dung off his head and finds another horse, gold in color with a thick black mane. As soon as he gets on, Baekhyun takes off on his own steed. “Hey, wait for me, Baek!” He hears the other call out from behind him.

“Hurry Chanyeol! I can’t be late!”

“Okay, okay!”

 

 

 

 

 

_怕你飞远去，怕你离我而去，更怕你永远停留在这里_

_-大鱼_

_i fear that you will fly away, i fear that you will leave me, but moreso i fear that you will be trapped here forever_

_-big fish_

 

 

 

 

 

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun inquires as they hurriedly climb the steps of the pavilion where the coming of age ceremony is to be held. “Is the mortal realm fun?”

“Very!” The other exclaims in delight. “When I went last year, I didn’t even want to come back.”

“You didn’t need to come back!” He teases.

“If I didn’t come back, who would escort you to this year’s ceremony? And tell you of the wonders of the mortal realm?”

Baekhyun sticks his tongue out in response. “I didn’t ask you to escort me. You came all by yourself!” They continue up the stairs and soon reach the last flight. “Is the mortal realm safe?” He slows his steps to look at the older boy. Chanyeol halts and looks down at his best friend.

“Don’t worry Baek, you’ll be fine,” he says in a rare bout of seriousness.

Baekhyun beams up at him. “Okay Yeol, I trust you.” They both hustle up the remaining steps.

“Where were you?” Baekhyun’s mother scolds as he finally makes his way over to his family. “You’re almost late!” Chanyeol scurries away to avoid Baekhyun’s accusations. The latter glares at him as he escapes, but he merely sticks his tongue out in retaliation.

“Sorry mom,” Baekhyun offers. His mother is momentarily distracted by the need to feed her only son and doesn’t lecture him more. He obediently eats the dumpling she puts in his hand to appease her.

“Minseok, be careful in the mortal realm, okay?” He hears amidst his mother’s fretting. He looks to the side and sees the neighboring family gathered around another boy his age.

“Don’t worry, grandma, I will be,” the boy, Minseok, holds his grandmother’s hand in comfort. Below him, a young girl barely up to his waist tugs desperately at his sleeves while crying.

“Brother, when will you be back?” She cries softly. He smiles down at her and releases their grandmother’s hand in favor of picking the tiny child up. He bops her playfully on the nose before replying.

“I’ll be back soon, Minhee. Seven days, okay?” She nods sadly and he ruffles her hair before setting her down again. Baekhyun smiles at the scene.

His attention is brought back to his mother who begins smoothing down his clothes. “After this you’ll be an adult,” she starts.

“I know, mom,” Baekhyun says. He can see the tears welling in her eyes. “Mom,” he protests.

“Remember, don’t interact with the humans. Humans are dangerous,” she continues.

“Mom, you’ve told me before.” Her hands clench onto his shirt and he gently removes them.

“Dear, it’ll be okay, Baekhyunnie is smart, he’ll be okay,” Baekhyun’s dad soothes. Baekhyun shoots him a grateful look. He draws his wife into his arms.

She sniffles harshly. “You don’t know that! The Choi’s son didn’t make it back last year.” Her husband pats her gently on the back. Below them, the Elders have already started the summoning of the water dragon that will open the gate to the mortal realm. Grandmother Park, Chanyeol’s adoptive grandmother, has been the one to perform this ceremony for years. She dons the decorative dragon mask and holds the ceremonial staff in her hands as she circles the well the water dragon will emerge from.

“You will visit the mortal realm for seven days to view firsthand the laws of nature that we command,” the Head of the Elders booms. “Remember, do not, under any circumstances, make contact with humans.”

Grandmother Park chants the incantations to summon the water dragon and throws her staff into the well. “Gate of Ocean and Sky, open!” She commands. Seconds later, the staff flies back out of the well in the snout of the water dragon. It circles one time around the circular pavilion, to the delight of the younger children, and drops the staff back into Grandmother Park’s hands before soaring skyward.

“Grandmother is the best!” Baekhyun hears Chanyeol cheer from where he is watching from the rooftops. He laughs a little under his breath. A torrent of ocean water comes tumbling from the sky where the water dragon had tore a hole through the barrier between the two realms, and Chanyeol’s grandmother holds it from touching the ground with the help of the staff.

“Hurry,” she huffs, “I can’t hold this forever, you know.”

The blowing of the horns announces that the shape-changing soup is starting to make its rounds. As the younger children try to touch the water from the mortal realm, Baekhyun watches anxiously for the spirit that will be bringing the soup to him. Soon enough, Minseok from the neighboring family is downing the liquid and walking with sure steps towards the ocean water. He blinks and the spirit has already appeared before him. “Thank you,” he mutters softly before picking up the bowl and gulping down its contents. The spirit leaves for the next sixteen year old down the line and Baekhyun turns to give his mother a hug. Already the effects of the soup are taking place, and he watches as the bare skin of his arms turn red. “Bye mom, bye dad,” he says before extracting himself and moving towards the watery gate.

As soon as he steps into the torrent of water, the changes come, each faster than the previous. His legs turn into a tail and his arms turn into fins; his mouth turns into a snout and he huffs at the unfamiliar sensation. He’s about to follow the others upwards into the mortal realm but he hears his mother shouting his name.

“Baekhyun! Remember, the mortal realm is dangerous. Stay away from humans,” she cries from the other side of the gate. He swims as close as he can without switching forms again to look at her reassuringly. He wants to tell her that he’ll be fine, but all that comes out are the sad whining noises of a dolphin. His father gently pulls her away and makes a shooing motion at Baekhyun, and he turns around to swim towards the sky once again. He makes it halfway before he’s interrupted by another voice.

“Baek! Stay safe and come back quick! I’ll be here waiting for you!” He hears from Chanyeol who is waving eagerly on the roof. Since he can’t speak to Chanyeol, he gives a sloppy twirl of acknowledgement before continuing on his way.

 

 

 

 

 

_春秋不能同时出现，终此一生都找不到我的绝配_

_-春秋配_

_spring and autumn will never occur at the same time, and thus i can never find my true match_

_-the match of spring and autumn_

 

 

 

 

 

When Baekhyun sees the sky again, it’s in the mortal realm. The whirlpool that serves as their gate home fades away slowly until all that’s left is the calm of the ocean waves. He and the others yip excitedly to each other as they take in their first views of what seems to them to be another world. As they watch the sunset, he hears voices from the cliffs behind him. He turns around tentatively and is surprised to see two humans watching them from what appears to be their house. “Look, brother,” he makes out, “the red dolphins are here again! They come every year.” The little girl tugs at her brother’s pantlegs and points at Baekhyun and the others.

“Yes, they are,” the brother agrees. “We should say hi to them, hmm? Do you want to?”

She claps in excitement. “Yes! What should we say?”

“Let’s say, ‘you guys have come back again!’” He suggests. Baekhyun watches her nod in agreement, then they both turn back to the dolphins and shout.

“You guys have come back again!” The little girl laughs in delight and her brother picks her up to put her on his shoulders. Baekhyun is instantly charmed by the older’s kind eyes and the dimple that appears when he smiles.

He swims a little closer to the cliffs, separating from the rest of his friends. They squeak after him in concern, but he huffs in reassurance at them and they back off. As the sun sets completely, the others all swim off one by one, leaving him to stay behind and gaze up at the house the two siblings had long since disappeared into. He drifts lazily in the waters, keeping an eye out for the reappearance of the older brother. Before he knows it, he falls asleep to the waves lapping gently at his fins.

On the second day, he wakes to the chatter of humans once again. This time, however, they don’t come from the siblings on the cliff, but a ship filled with people. Curiosity piqued, he swims closer to the ship and quietly observes the patrons on board. The vessel seems to be a luxury ship of some sort, for throughout the day, the noise never ceases. As night falls, lamps are lit and music is played; Baekhyun watches this all with muted awe. When silence finally falls, it has already been hours since the sun disappeared down the horizon. With no humans left to observe, Baekhyun turns his gaze to the night sky, finally witnessing Lady Sehun’s work the way it was meant to be, in the skies and not on a lake.

The ship reaches port the next day, and Baekhyun finds himself surrounded by the din of sailors and travellers alike, scrambling to get to their end destinations. He carefully stays away from their curious eyes, instantly feeling unsettled by the fast-paced atmosphere that surrounds the port. But all of this changes at night, once again, when the city behind the port lights up in celebration. Baekhyun doesn’t understand what they are celebrating, but he is fascinated by the fireworks and loud music nonetheless. Unknowingly, he finds himself swimming closer and closer until he can smell the human food and see the children prancing down the streets.

The fourth day finds him swimming through the canals of the human city. He watches in confusion as teams of people clamber into boats carved like dragons and race to the finish. He wants to swim beside them, to race with them, but he knows he cannot. Later on, the townspeople gather on a bridge and begin throwing things into the water. At first, he thinks he has been found out, but he realizes soon enough that the things they are throwing are wrapped rice balls. Happily, he snacks on some of them while continuing to observe the festivities.

While the music and celebrations continue on to the next day, he can feel that they’re starting to draw to a close by nightfall. There’s an air of solemnity as the humans place candles in folded paper boats and send them floating down the river, despite the music still playing and festivities going on in the background. Baekhyun ducks to avoid being seen by the large amount of people on shore. He gathers that this is some sort of tradition, with the lighted boats being a sort of protection for the souls of the deceased. He is both deeply touched and amused by this sentiment, and follows the trail of light farther and farther away from the city.

All streams lead back to the ocean, and as day breaks, Baekhyun dives over the edge of a waterfall to find himself back in the vast pool of water. The boats trickle behind him, candles still lit by some miraculous force of protection; he muses to himself that there might be some truth to the humans’ sentiments after all. Today is the sixth day, and he finds himself near the cliff he had embarked from once again. From somewhere further into the ocean, he can hear a melody and the laughter of a child. Curious, he swims closer towards the noise and watches as the human and his little sister play on a small boat. The brother is playing a dolphin-shaped ocarina as the little girl dances in delight. Before Baekhyun can venture nearer, however, he stops playing and instead reaches for a sack in the boat. Baekhyun drifts out of view as the human boy tosses handfuls of fish food into the water and a pod of dolphins descend upon them. “There’s so many fish!” He hears the child exclaim.

“Amazing, right?” Her brother asks proudly. “Want to see something even cooler?” She nods. He flashes his dimple at her before reaching into the sack and scooping out a glob of fish food. Baekhyun blinks in confusion as he starts slathering the food all over his bare torso.

“Brother, what are you doing?” The little girls asks. He doesn’t offer a response, merely offering the sack to her instead.

“Help me put this on, okay? Make sure it’s all over my back.” She obediently does, small hands diving into the source over and over again to make sure the paste is evenly spread over her brother’s back. “Stay here and watch,” he commands before jumping over the edge of the boat. Baekhyun quickly submerges himself in shock, scared that the human will do something reckless. Instead, he is greeted by the sight of the boy surrounded by the same pod of dolphins, all drawing closer and closer to feed from him. He can’t help but swim closer slowly, fascinated by the human boy who seems nothing like the monsters he had heard about before. His movement catches the attention of the boy, however, who grins devilishly at Baekhyun before moving to swim closer. Panicking, he quickly turns around and swims away, only slowing when he’s sure the human cannot catch him. Carefully, he peeks his head out of the water to watch the boy clamber back onto his boat.

“You were in there for so long brother!” His sister protests.

“I saw a red dolphin,” he explains. “He’s really unlike the normal dolphins. He’s so smart!” He looks out to scan the ocean surface, and Baekhyun hurriedly ducks to hide himself once again.

“I think he likes you,” the little girl says, having seen the dolphin’s red fin poking out of the water before it disappeared abruptly.

As night falls, the boy picks up his ocarina again and begins to play as his sister sleeps. Baekhyun is mesmerized by the music and unknowingly swims closer and closer to the boat. As the last notes rings out, the boy locks gazes with Baekhyun. He slowly pulls the instrument away from his mouth and sets it down, moving closer to the edge of the boat. But as he reaches a hand out to pet Baekhyun, the latter ducks under the surface and swims away in a rush. He is unsettled by how much he wanted to feel the other’s hand on his skin.

To shake off the strange feelings, Baekhyun goes on a swim further out the next day. He still stays within viewing distance of the cliff, though, because he knows the whirlpool will open close by. As he darts around near the ocean floor, he suddenly hears the panicked squealing of other dolphins. His eyes round with shock and he follows the noise until he chances upon blood drifting through the water. Now completely terrified, he slows his pace as he continues to find the source of the sound. The sight that greets him sickens him to the bone. Dozens of dolphins have been captured by the nets of a huge fishing ship and struggle to free themselves. The edges of the wire nets scratch at their skin and droplets of blood float through the water. What saddens him the most, however, is that the whines he had heard were not from the captured dolphins, but the unrestrained members of their pods, desperately trying to keep the net from being lifted out of water. He does what he can to help, but it’s no use as the net and its contents break surface and are hoisted to certain death. Sadly, he makes his way back to the whirlpool. Whatever good impressions he had of humans from the previous six days are suddenly a distant memory.

By the time he reaches the vicinity of the whirlpool, the skies have already darkened. There’s a storm brewing, probably brought on by the fact that the gate will be opened soon. He swims aimlessly, heart burdened by the tragedy he had witnessed earlier in the day. This is his mistake, as he suddenly finds himself trapped in a net not unlike the one he had seen before. Panicked, he cries out loudly, his whimpers and whines noticeable even above the din of the storm. He thrashes despite the wires cutting into his skin; he has to break free soon or the gate will close and he will never be able to go home.

A light goes on in the little house on the cliff, and the brother and his sister run out to see what is causing the havoc. “It’s the red dolphin!” The little girl cries in surprise. “He’s stuck in a fishing net.” The boy appraises the situation carefully, taking in the dolphin’s pain and panic as well as the storm and whirlpool that is rapidly forming.

“Get my knife,” he orders, already shrugging off his shirt.

“But brother! There’s a whirlpool down there!” His sister exclaims.

He kneels down by her side and brushes her hair out of her face gently. He smiles. “I know what I’m doing, okay? I’m going to save him.” She nods slowly. “Now go get my knife.” Her little legs become a blur as she rushes back inside the house to grab his hunting knife and bring it back outside. He grabs the knife from her and pats her head reassuringly. “Wait here. I’ll be back.” He holds the knife with his teeth and dives off the cliff; powerful strokes bring him to where Baekhyun is still struggling against the netting, albeit weakly.

Baekhyun squeals as he sees the knife between the boy’s teeth. He had been wrong to trust humans, he thinks as he squirms and tries to put as much distance as possible between himself and the shiny metal while still trapped in the net. The boy grabs onto the top of the net to stabilize himself before retrieving the knife. A strike of lightning flashes off the side of the blade as he raises it, and Baekhyun squeezes his eyes shut to prepare for the pain. Nothing comes, so he opens his eyes again to try and throw the human off. “Stop!” He hears the boy shout breathily. “I’m trying to save you!” The knife flashes again and there is no pain this time either, but Baekhyun cannot focus on the good intent behind his actions. He continues to flounder, trying to break away from the boy, the net, and the human realm. “I’m not going to hurt you!” The boy screams again as he ducks under the water to slice through the netting holding Baekhyun’s tail in place.

Tail loose, Baekhyun has more freedom to move, and he delivers one powerful kick to break the remaining wires still holding him. He doesn’t realize that his tail has hit the human boy until he is truly free, head bobbing above the water as he tries to regain his bearings. “Brother!” He hears the little girl cry out from the top of the cliff. Alarmed, he looks around to see if the boy has surfaced, but he hasn’t. Quickly, he dives under the water and finds the boy’s body sinking deeper and deeper. He glances at the whirlpool and hesitates, before swimming quickly to the boy’s side. Dragged down by his waterlogged clothes, he is resting peacefully on his side atop an underwater plateau. Baekhyun nudges his arms carefully, unsure of what is wrong with him. The human doesn’t stir, so he butts his chest a little harder; the boy rolls over, unmoving. Shocked, Baekhyun whines at him, gently pressing his nose to the boy’s throat to feel for a pulse. There’s nothing, and Baekhyun doesn’t know what to do anymore. The human’s dolphin ocarina pokes out from his pocket, and Baekhyun grabs that as he pushes swiftly towards the surface. At the foot of the rocky cliff, the little girl meets him. “I want my brother! Give me my brother back!” She cries as the dolphin shows up without her brother. The ocarina is still in Baekhyun’s mouth, but he backs away slowly from the grieving child. Lightning flashes and thunder rumbles as a last warning for the gate’s closing, so he makes his way toward the whirlpool dutifully. He is accompanied by the little girl’s cries. He would like more than anything to at least deliver the boy’s body to his sister, but time is running out.

Baekhyun walks out of the gate on the other side visibly shaken up. The ocarina is held tightly in his hand and he hurriedly hides it before anyone can see that he’s brought something back from the mortal realm. “You’re finally back!” His mother quickly wraps a towel around him. “What’s wrong?” She asks nervously.

“Nothing.” He makes up an excuse, “I’m just tired.” He smiles meekly at her.

“That’s okay, you’re home now.” His father comforts.

“Yes, you’re home now. I cooked all your favorite dishes,” his mother adds.

“Thank you.” He allows himself to be manhandled back home.

The next day, he leaves home early in the morning to go to his grandfather’s house. When he pushes the doors of the large courtyard open, he sees a large phoenix perched on one of the many trees. “Good morning, grandmother,” he greets morosely. She blinks at him in acknowledgement before tucking her head under her wing again. Baekhyun slowly climbs the stairs to his grandfather’s room and knocks lightly before entering. Grandfather Byun’s long hair lies in heaps on the floor. Little songbirds flit between the long strands. Baekhyun steps carefully over the hair to where his grandfather is standing by the window. “Hi grandfather.”

“Hello, Baekhyunnie,” his grandfather turns around to properly greet his grandson. “What’s wrong?” He asks upon seeing the gloomy expression on the younger boy’s face.

“Where do humans go when they die?” Baekhyun asks, picking up a loop of his grandfather’s hair to braid.

“Their bodies become dirt,” he replies.

“What about their souls?”

“Their souls become tiny fish and swim across the barrier between our worlds. In the northmost sea is the Tower of Ascending, where the soulkeeper guards these tiny fish.”

Baekhyun pauses in his braiding. “Will we die too?” He asks sadly.

“Of course,” his grandfather states wisely. “Life and death are an endless cycle. If we do not die, what would be the value in life?”

“If we die... what happens?” He already knows the answer but asks anyways.

His grandfather turns to glance out the open door at the large phoenix sleeping in his courtyard. “Our spirits become the things we tended to in life. Your grandmother was the Keeper of Birds, and now she is a phoenix. When I die, I would like to become a tree.” He smiles wistfully.

“Grandfather, I don’t want you to die,” Baekhyun cries as he throws himself into his grandfather’s embrace.

“Silly child,” Grandfather Byun laughs, “there is nothing to fear. After all, death is the doorway to eternal life.”


End file.
